Prophet: The perfect role model

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born on Rabiul Awwal 12 of the Hijrah calendar.
His birth, on a Monday, came 570 years after that of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). The Prophet was born in the city of Makkah to Abdullah, the son of Abdul Muttalib, the venerable sheikh of the Quraish, the ruling clan of Makkah.

The Prophet Muhammad, called Al-Ameen (The Trustworthy) even by his enemies, was the last of the prophets sent by Allah. There is no other prophet on whose life so much light has been shed. Born after the age of myth, living in the full glare of history, his sayings and actions were documented as no other prophet’s were. Recorded in minute detail, their authenticity has been questioned by no fair scholar.
The Prophet’s life is a shining example for all to follow. He was the kindest of persons — a sense of compassion that was directed at Muslims and non-Muslims alike. His care for those around him and even for those who caused him harm provides shining examples of true nobility. His love for orphans was deep, and the kindness that he exhibited to the needy, the humble and the poor knew no bounds.
It is extremely difficult for the Muslims of today to imagine and much less to endure the hardships that the Prophet and his companions underwent. In the ninth year of his mission, the Prophet — having been persecuted and terrorized by his people in Makkah — headed for Taif, home to the Banu Thaqif tribe. There he went to preach his message but was treated rudely by the tribal elders, who told him to clear off and even sent street urchins after him to beat him and pelt him with stones. He bled profusely causing his entire body to be covered with blood and his sandals to become clogged to his feet.

He headed away from the town and took respite near a rock and made a heart-rending invocation to God Almighty beseeching mercy for the people who had persecuted him a few moments earlier.

It is said that the heavens were moved by the Prophet’s prayer and the Archangel Gabriel came and said that God Almighty is aware of what has passed and that he has deputed an angel in charge of the mountains. The angel in charge of the mountains then came forward and offered to bring the mountains overlooking Taif to collide with each other to destroy the inhabitants. However, being a mountain of mercy himself and the mercy of the worlds, the Prophet refused. Note the conduct of our noble Prophet. Irritated by a little trouble or abuse from someone, we spend years scheming and devising ways to take revenge. How far removed are the Muslims of today from the Prophet who they consider their exemplar.

In spite of suffering so much at the hands of the Taif mob, the Prophet did not curse or seek revenge, even when the opportunity arose. Instead, he pleaded for mercy.

When there was a stop in a Makkan woman who would repeatedly throw garbage on him as he walked in the streets, the Prophet — being an icon of compassion — asked people about her and even humbly visited her after hearing she had fallen ill.
Over 14 centuries have gone by since he, the Last of the Messengers, left us, but his message — one that was earmarked by mercy for the entire creation — lives on. His examples live on to lead us from darkness to light. His life was one of mercy, compassion, care, consideration, kindness and tolerance for all. His sayings, known as Hadiths, bear testimony to this. One particular theme found in his sayings relate to the rights of women. It is without a doubt that Islam afforded women an honorable and respected position. However, it is sad to see people, many Muslims included, ignorant of this.

On one occasion, he said, “Fear Allah in respect of women.” He also said, “The best of you are they who behave best to their wives.” In another he said, “A Muslim must not hate his wife, and if he be displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that is good.” In one more Hadith, he said, “The more civil and kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is.”
It is no wonder then that the Prophet Muhammad’s employer was none other than a woman, Sayyidatuna Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). So impressed was she by his kindness, compassion, manners and trustworthiness that they married, a model marriage that is often cited by scholars as a perfect example for Muslims to follow. Unlike those jihadists who preach hatred and dislike for non-Muslims and even to those Muslims who don’t subscribe to their views, the Prophet’s own behavior stands contrary to the way they call to. Let them take heed to the fact that it was the Prophet who accepted Safiyyah and Mariya in his home as his wives — one being of Jewish and the second being of Christian heritage.

In an attitude that was revolutionary at that time, the Prophet taught his companions to remain in their mothers’ service, saying that Paradise lies beneath their feet.

Today, as we stumble through a confused and turbulent world, as we grope in darkness and as we suffer from uncertainty and depression, we must look for — and grasp at — the teachings of the Holy Prophet so that they will act as a cure for many of the social ills that have befallen our world.

The world faces a host of seemingly insoluble problems. In the West, people speak of depression and decay in society. In the East, industrial and technological progress has created a vacuum in society. Many people are floundering in darkness. They cling to values that have nothing to do with life. They join cults. For role models they look to unworthy individuals who are moral vacuums.
For us the perfect role model is the Last Messenger of God. His life, his dealings with young and old and both friend and foe are an inspiration to all of us.

Let us teach ourselves and our children about the life of the Holy Prophet and use it in our daily lives so that we may improve our conduct and become better human beings. Let us be more tolerant, more forgiving and show compassion to all our brothers and sisters in humanity, irrespective of their race or religion.

‘Copy and paste’ from the trusted source 😉 Just for you to read and think…maybe she’s right and maybe she’s wrong as well. But, it’s up to us to choose.

Surviving The Coming Hard Times!

By Stanley Koh (MCA – Head Of Research Unit)

It turns out that the government you voted in will not hold your hand to see you through hard times. Instead, it will make sure to add to your suffering because that is the easiest way it can avoid going bankrupt.

Barisan Nasional has apparently decided that the time has come to remove or cut subsidies — the kind of subsidies that poor people depend on, not the kind enjoyed by big corporations and monopolistic suppliers of utilities and infrastructural support.

So what is the use of a government that will eagerly shake your hand during election time but will not hesitate to pull the rug from under your feet when it needs to save itself?

Few believe that the removal of subsidies on essential food items and fuels can save the Malaysian government from possible bankruptcy. If it does go bankrupt, it will be because it has failed to cleanse a corrupt system.

It is better for Malaysians to be rich and to control a bankrupt government than to be poor and controlled by a corrupt government. Many countries have rich citizens with bankrupt governments.

You do not need an economist to tell you that RM100 in Malaysia today does not buy as much as it did last year.

In what we may call the Malaysian Misery Index, we can see that food prices have been spiralling upwards for years. For example, fresh tenggiri, which was RM13.23 a kilo in 1997, now costs RM40 a kilo. A roasted duck cost RM13.47 in 1997, but is now at least RM38. And Malaysians have become used to the doubling in price of some food items during festive seasons.

Most Malaysians do not expect the situation to improve. Food prices will continue to go up and there is little hope that they will come down again.

Two years ago, the BN government announced that it had set up a US$1.25 billion fund to increase food production and that it was targeting 100% self-sufficiency in rice consumption. What has happened to the fund and the target?

Double Whammy

When the GST (goods and services tax) is fully implemented in 2011, it will be a double whammy for poor and middle-income households, pensioners, the unemployed and single parents.

Some have argued that imposing GST on Malaysian does not make much economic sense when only 6.8% of the population are taxpayers and a large majority earn low incomes. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that most of us are paying hidden taxes in highway tolls and electricity tariffs.

Indeed, the future looks bleak.

Yet, quite a number of us are gullible enough to think that the government will protect consumers. Are we not being stupid? Isn’t it better to be wiser and brace for tougher times ahead?

Instead of believing the promises of a government that has a dismal performance record, we should believe the law of inflation, which says, “Whatever goes up will go up some more.”

Ronald Reagan once described inflation as a violent mugger, a threatening armed robber and a deadly hit man. In the Malaysian context, that is an apt description not of inflation, but of the BN government’s behaviour and policies.

So how do we fight the inflation of food prices?

Economists generally agree that the average Malaysian household spends about 75% of its income on food. Food price hikes will therefore have an adverse impact upon disposable income and force us to make a lifestyle change.

To Fight Inflation

Here are some of the things we can do:

* Stop eating at expensive restaurants.
* Boycott traders, hypermarkets and hawker stalls that charge unreasonable prices.
* Shop intelligently for value and do not be too impressed by branding.
* Work out a budget before buying. Look out for special sales.
* Prevent wastage by not buying more than you can eat.
* Tell friends and acquaintances about shops that charge excessively.
* Avoid buying expensive beverages or foodstuff and find alternatives for nutritional value.
* Boycott chained markets and fast-food joints. They are monopolised by a few large companies and can therefore raise prices at whim.

Perhaps economist Milton Friedman was right when he said, “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara desert, in five years there will be a shortage of sand.”

Malaysians do not take the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) seriously. They know it does not accurately reflect price rises in essential foodstuffs.

Many suspect that the government uses it as an instrument to deceive the public into thinking that things are hunky-dory when they are not. The government develops statistics so that the inflation-weary public would direct its hostility towards businesses, and not blame official mismanagement.

The average household consumption expenditure over the last 20 years has increased by 181.8%. In 1973, it was RM412. By 1993-94, it had gone up to RM1,161. In 1999, it touched RM1,631.

According to Professor Lim Teck Ghee, real household income has been growing, but at the snail-pace rate of 0.9% per year. More than half of the population are in the low-income category.

Today, a family of five spends 50% to 60% of household income on food compared with 20% in 1998 and 15% in 1988.

Not long ago, there was official acknowledgement that 95% of families are finding it hard to cope with the rise in food prices.

In fact, the biggest failure of the Ninth Malaysia Plan is that it did not help Malaysians improve their quality of living. Inflation, whether it is imported or locally generated, raises the cost of living and lowers the quality of living.

‘Why Not Change The Government?’

In 2006, when Najib Tun Razak was Deputy Prime Minister, he asked Malaysians to change their lifestyle in the face of the rising cost of living.

A blogger by the name of Chong wrote in response: “Perhaps, the Prime Minister should have done some simple calculations himself. People like us basically have no lifestyle, just merely surviving with our earnings. So how are we going to change (our lifestyle)?

“Inflation has gone up 4.5% (and above) and the government is pushing the cost of living higher by increasing electricity tariffs, but our income remains the same.”

Others felt it would be easier to change the government than to change a non-existent lifestyle.

“Instead of listening to Najib asking us to change,” one critic remarked, “Why not we change the government at the next general election?”

To me, that makes a lot of sense. Any government that is willing to build air-conditioned toilets around a city at more than RM100,000 each has no business planning a national economy.

When such a government decides to cut subsidies, many of us will wonder whether the so-called “savings” will instead go towards more majestic arches, fanciful lamp-posts, refurbishments of VIP residences, luxurious government bungalows and fruitless overseas trips by ministers.

Any government that stands accused of having wasted RM320 billion in 20 years — through corruption, wastage and mismanagement — definitely does not deserve to be re-elected.

Please help to spread the message if you wish to see changes for a better Malaysia.

Forward to everyone in your email contacts list, asking them to send out via their email list too, so that more people will come out to vote wisely in the 13th General Election for a better Malaysia for your children and their children too.